Unconditional Love
by Envythesin
Summary: Corey and Larry have been together for a while, now. They decide to finally tell their bands about their secret. How will they react? Will they be forced to break up, or will their love remain unconditional? This is a sequel to Unexpected Love.
1. Confession

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Grojband or any of the characters.**

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(Corey's POV)

Larry and I have been dating since I told him how I felt. The past few weeks have been amazing. We would often go to the park, go out to lunch, or just hang out at each others' houses. Careful not to be see, though. We haven't told our bands, yet. Larry and I had decided to tell them at the right moment. But...it never felt like the right moment.

I don't think we're so called 'waiting' anymore. I think this is just us avoiding the wrath of our bands. I think we should tell them today. At least, then, we won't have to worry about it. They might be angry at us for a while, but at least it'll be out of the way. Then, whatever happens, happens.

I interrupted my thoughts to check the time from the living room couch. The clock on the wall read 12:37 PM. Larry and I were supposed to meet at the park at 2:00. As I sat there, impatiently waiting for time to pass, my thoughts began to wander again.

I know Lanes would probably be cool with it after a while, but Carrie...I felt a shiver go up my spine, remembering the warning she gave me of what would happen if I touched one of her band members. Sure, I want to tell them the truth, but I also want to live! I don't know what to do. Maybe I can talk to Larry about it when we meet up.

(Larry's POV)

I was sitting on my bed in my room, tuning my bass. I glanced at the alarm clock on my nightstand. It read 1:28. I sighed; another half hour to go. Once my bass was tuned to perfection, I set it down in its place. Having exhausted all other options of what to do, I lied down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling.

I started thinking about Corey and me. Many questions swam through my head at once. How will we tell the bands? When will we tell them? Will I get kicked out of the band? Will they make us break up? How will Carrie react? These same questions haunted me every day. I wish I had the courage to tell them. I'm afraid of losing my best friends. They're everything to me, besides Corey. I looked over at my clock again. 1:36. I had nothing better to do, so I decided to leave. The park was only a couple minutes away, but who cares if I got there a little early?

As I walked to the park, I got a text from Carrie.

'Hey! How's my best friend?' I smiled as I texted her back.

'Pretty good. U?'

'Same. So, watcha up to?' My hands shook as I tried to come up with an answer. I obviously couldn't tell her what I was really doing.

'I'm at my house doing chores.'

'Really? That sucks. Maybe I could come over and help.' Oh, no.

'No thanks, Care. I can handle it.'

'But if I help u, u could get done faster, then we can hang out!' Crap! Quickly, Larry, think of something!

'Sorry, but I'm a little sick. After my chores, I'm going to bed. Maybe tomorrow?' Wow, that's the best I could come up with? It took her a while to text back.

'Okay. Well, tomorrow then. Hope you feel better! :)' I smiled with relief.

'Thanks, Care. I knew you'd understand. :)' I put my phone in my pocket and looked up. I realized that I was already standing in the entrance to the park. I went in and sat on the same bench where all of this began. As I was waiting, I began whistling to myself as I waited for Corey.

(Carrie's POV)

I looked at my phone and frowned. I was confused. If he was sick, then why would his parents make him do chores? And...why would he deny my help? I decided to go to his house, despite him not wanting me to. He was my best friend, so I wanted to help him. Maybe I could make him feel better, too. I got my shoes on and walked out the door.

When I got to his house, I knocked on the door, which was opened by a woman.

"Oh, hello, Carrie!" The woman greeted. "What do you need?"

"Hi, Mrs. Nepp. Can I see Larry?"

"I'm sorry, but he's not here right now. He left a little bit ago." What?!

"Do you know where he went?" I asked hopefully.

"No, I'm sorry. He didn't say." I frowned.

"Oh, okay. Sorry for wasting your time." I said solemnly.

"It's fine, sweety. When he comes back, I'll tell him to call you."

"Okay, thanks." I told her as I started walking down the porch steps. She waved and closed the door. As I was walking back home, I started thinking about what Larry had told me. He...lied to me? Why would he do that?! I thought for a moment. He was hiding something. But...i thought we were best friends. We promised we wouldn't keep anything from each other. I became enraged. Damn it, Larry! I had to find out what was going on. Once I got home, I sat on my couch and waited for Larry's call.

(Corey's POV)

It was time, and I was walking to the park. When I walked through the entrance, I looked around for Larry. After a couple minutes, I found him sitting on a bench. I went over and sat next to him. He looked at me and smiled.

"Hey, Corey." He said sweetly, kissing my cheek.

"Hi, Larry." I said, blushing.

"So, watcha wanna do?" He asked.

"Actually, I wanted to talk." He raised and eyebrow. "About our bands." I finished. He sighed.

"Oh...that." He said, looking down.

"Larry, I think we should tell them today." He looked at me, wide-eyed. He looked scared out of his mind.

"T-today?! But...what...what if..." He started panicking. I put an arm around him to calm him down.

"Look, we can tell them together. You don't have to do it alone."

"R-really?" He stuttered. "But...what if they hate us? We could lose our friends! I don't want to lose Carrie, or any of them!"

"If they're really our friends, then they'll understand." I told him.

"But...alright..." He said, giving in. "So, how're we gonna tell them?"

"We'll get the bands together and tell them at the same time."

"How on earth will we get them together?!"

"Tell your band to come here. I'll do the same. Then, when they're all together, we'll tell them."

"Okay, that sounds good." He said a bit more confidently. We stood up, hugged goodbye, and left to retrieve our bands.

(Larry's POV)

'Okay, calm down, Larry. Everything's gonna be cool.' I told myself as I walked to Carrie's house. I got to her house and knocked on the garage door. Carrie immediately opened it and gasped upon seeing me.

"Larry! Where've you been?! Why'd you lie to me?!" She yelled. She knew that I lied?

"Lie? What do you mean?"

"I went to your house, Nepp! You weren't there!" Oh, crap. Suddenly, she grabbed the collar of my shirt and practically dragged me into the garage. She threw me onto the couch and stood in front of me, arms crossed. "You have some explaining to do." She said sternly. I cringed under her dominating stare.

"I...uh...well, you see..." I stuttered, trying to come up with something. Suddenly, she got in my face and pointed menacingly at me.

"And don't you dare give me any more bullshit!" She growled. I broke into a cold sweat.

"Look, Carrie, can you just come with me? To the park? Everything will be explained." She thought for a second.

"No BS?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No BS." I told her. "But we need to bring the rest of the band, too." She unfolded her arms and sighed.

"Fine. But why do we have to go to the park?"

"Like I said, everything will be explained." I told her. She nodded hesitantly. Then, she followed me out of the garage.

"I'll text the twins." She said, taking out her phone. I nodded. Once she was done, we waited a couple minutes before the twins showed up.

"Hey, Larry." Kim said.

"So, why are we going to the park?" Konnie asked.

"You'll see when we get there." I told them. They looked at each other and shrugged. I started walking, and they followed.

(Corey's POV)

I already had my band at the park. I was just waiting for Larry. I hope he didn't chicken out. Laney and the twins were shifting awkwardly, probably wondering why I brought them here. Finally, I saw The Newmans walking towards us. Carrie suddenly stopped upon see us. Her expression turned to one of disgust.

"Grojband?! Why are you here?!" She asked angrily.

"We could ask you the same thing, Newman!" Laney said. I nudged her shoulder.

"They're actually supposed to be here, Lanes. This is why we're here." She looked at me, shocked.

"What the heck, Core? Would you mind explaining what the hell is going on?!"

"Yeah, I'd like an explanation, too." Carrie said, putting her hands on her hips. "What's going on?" Larry and I stood before the two band.

"We have something we'd like to tell you..." I said nervously.

"Corey and I are together." Larry said, grabbing my hand.

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**DUN DUN DUUUUN! How will the bands react? Will they accept it, or will there be consequences? Find out in the next chapter!**


	2. Still Friends

**Unconditional Love Chapter 2**

(Corey's POV)

I looked nervously around at the shocked faces of our friends. Kin and Kon were just standing there, wide-eyed. Lanes looked like she was about to cry. I looked over at the Newmans to see that they didn't look much better. Kim and Konnie's mouths were agape, while Carrie looked slightly disheartened. Then, she got angry.

"WHAT?!" She yelled. She looked between me and Larry, like she didn't know who to kill first. Suddenly, she tried to go for Larry, but Kim and Konnie snapped out of their trances and grabbed her, holding her back. Larry looked horrified, so I gave his hand a tight squeeze. He squeezed back. "Are you fucking kidding me?! How could you?!" Carrie yelled. At first, I thought she was angry, but as I watched her trying to struggle out of their grasp, I saw tears start going down her face. She ceased her efforts and let them pull her back.

"Carrie?" Larry asked. Carrie pushed the twins off of her and turned around so she was facing away from us.

"Don't talk to me…" She said before walking away.

"What was that about?" I asked, bewildered. He shrugged. Suddenly, Kim and Konnie came over.

"Larry, can we talk to you?" Kim asked, looking nervous.

"Uh, yeah, sure." He said, letting go of my hand. As he was talking to his remaining band members, I looked at my own band. I saw Kin, Kon, and Lan-

Wait…where's Laney? I went up to the twins, who were talking to each other.

"Hey, guys." I said. They looked at me.

"Hey, Corey." They said.

"So…are you okay with all of this?" I asked nervously.

"Yeah, of course." Kon said.

"What? Did you expect us to go all 'Carrie' on you?" Kin joked. I smiled at them sheepishly.

"Yeah, kind of."

"Well, don't worry. We support you 100%" Kon said as they both gave me a thumbs up.

"Thanks, guys. It means a lot." I smiled. Then, I paused. I had almost forgotten. "Uh, by any chance, do you know where Lanes went?"

"She left when Carrie went psycho." Kon said. "I think she went home. She looked pretty messed up."

"Do you think she's not okay with it?" I asked them. They just shrugged. Suddenly, Larry came over with Kim, who had an arm around him. He looked distraught. "Larry? What's wrong?"

"C-carrie hates m-me, now." He said, on the verge of tears. I put my arms around and gave him a comforting hug. He started lightly crying into my shoulder.

"She doesn't hate you." I said soothingly. "She just needs some time to get used to it."

"B-but what is she d-doesn't? What if s-she hates me f-forever?"

"She won't. If she's really your friend, then she won't." I said, trying to comfort him. His sobs soon became mere sniffles as he calmed down. I glanced over at the Newman twins, who were looking at him with pity. I turned my attention back to him at he lifted his head from my shoulder. "Better?" I asked. He slowly nodded and looked down, obviously still broken up about it. I put my hand under his chin and made him look up at me. "Look, everything's going to be okay." I said as I gave him a quick kiss. This time he nodded, smiling.

(Carrie's POV)

As I walked home, I was cursing in my head. Why did this have to happen?! I kicked a rock angrily. Stupid Larry! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I reached my house and went inside. I went up to my room and slammed the door shut behind me. My mom called from downstairs.

"Carrie? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, mom!" I yelled louder than necessary. I walked over to my bed and threw myself onto it, grabbing a pillow and hugging it tightly. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming towards my room. My mom opened the door slowly.

"Carrie?"

"I said I'm fine!" I yelled, burying my face into the pillow. She came over and sat on the bed.

"You don't sound fine." She said softly. "What's wrong?" I sighed.

"Everything. Not only did I find out that my best friend is gay, but I also found out that he's dating one of our rivals!"

"Well, what's wrong with him being gay? There's nothing wrong with that." I rolled my eyes.

"I know, but…"

"But…what?"

"But…" I paused for a second. "…I like him." My mom's eyes widened.

"Oh, I see." She sighed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wish there was something I could do." She started rubbing circles into my back. I hugged my pillow tighter. "I'm sure you'll find someone else. There are plenty of other guys out there." I turned over and lied on my stomach.

"Yeah, but…none of them are Larry." I said sadly. My mom just sighed. I felt her get off the bed and pat my back a couple times. Then, she walked out of the room and closed the door softly. Lost in my own thoughts, I soon fell asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I checked my phone. 3 missed calls and 6 messages. I looked at them. They were all from Larry:

_3:28 PM: Carrie, I'm sorry. Come back to the park._

_3:30 PM: Please don't be mad._

_3:34 PM: Pick up the phone, Care. I want to talk._

_3:37 PM: Come on! I said that I was sorry!_

_9:45 PM: Goodnight, Care._

_7:28 AM: Still hate me?_

I looked at the last one, then at my clock. It was 7:30 AM. I looked back at my phone and sighed, setting it back down. I wasn't in the mood to talk to him right now…or ever.

(Larry's POV)

I sat on the edge of my bed, waiting with my phone in hand. It's been five minutes, and still nothing. I guess she really does hate me. Well, if she didn't want to talk by phone, then I'll just have to go to her in person. I got dressed, walked downstairs, and left. As I was walking, I check my phone to see if she answered. Still no. Dang it, Carrie.

Once I reached her house, I knocked on the door. I was greeted by her mother.

"Oh, Larry! It's nice to see you!" I waved.

"Hey, um, is Carrie here?" I asked.

"Yes. She's in her room. Did you need to see her about what happened yesterday?"

"Wait, you know?"

"Yeah, she explained it to me. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." I sighed.

"Well, go on up. Be careful, though. She's in a pretty bad mood."

"Okay." I said as I walked in and started heading upstairs. "Thanks."

"No problem." She said, smiling. As I walked over to her bedroom door, I heard a noise coming from the other side. It sounded like…crying? I opened the door and peeked inside. She was lying on her bed, hugging a pillow, which she was crying into. Why is she so sad?

"Care?" I asked. She suddenly shot up to a sitting position. I watched as she hurriedly tried to wipe the tears from her face.

"L-larry? What are you doing here?" She asked. I walked over to the side of her bed and sat down. I looked over at her.

"I just wanted to know if you still hated me." I told her. She moved over and sat on the edge of the bed with me.

"Larry…I never hated you. I couldn't possibly." She said softly. "I was just a little upset."

"A little?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, I was really upset." She admitted. We sat there for a bit until I spoke up again.

"Why were you crying?" I asked. She suddenly froze. "What is it, Care?" She looked down.

"Well, I…" She paused, seemingly reluctant to finish the sentence. "…like you. I have for a while." My eyes grew wide.

"What? But…" I couldn't believe this. I used to crush on her all the time. Then, when I finally move on from her, she decides to tell me this?! Then again, I'm kind of glad she didn't. If she had, I would probably be with her, and not Corey. She looked at me.

"Do _you_ hate _me_, now?" She asked. I sighed and put an arm around her.

"No, I could never hate you, Care." I smiled at her. I took my free hand and wiped the remaining tears off of her face. "Still friends?" I asked.

"Still friends." She said, smiling.


	3. I Love You

(Laney's POV)

I paced in my room angrily. Just yesterday, I found out that the guy I've liked for_ years _is fucking _gay_! What the _hell_?! I stopped pacing and sat on my bed. I heard my phone buzz. I picked it up and looked at it. It was the seventh message I had gotten from Corey today.

_1:49 PM: Lanes, why aren't you answering me? Please!_

I sighed and finally texted him back.

'_Hey, Core.'_

'_Laney! Thank god! Are u mad?'_

'_No, I'm just dandy despite having found out that you're dating a _Newman!_' _I couldn't tell him the main reason why I was upset.

'_Sorry, Lanes. Could you at least try? The Newmans are actually pretty cool. They actually like me! Well, still not Carrie, but…they're pretty nice, otherwise.'_

'_I don't know, Core.'_

'_Pleeeeeeeeaaaase?' I laughed slightly at how much of a little kid he could be._

'_Okay, fine. I'll _try. _But I'm not promising anything.'_

'_Omg Lanes, thank u!' _I sighed.

'_Np, Core.' _I set down my phone on my bed and lied on my back. I don't know what to do. Maybe I _should _just accept it. Or…

I sat up immediately. I just had a great idea. Maybe I didn't have to accept it. Perhaps…I could break them up, somehow. I thought for a moment, trying to find anything I could use against them. Then, it hit me. What would happen if Larry saw Corey kiss someone else? A sly smirk appeared on my face as I grabbed my phone again…

(Corey's POV)

I was so glad that Lanes was on board with this, now. I was lying on my couch watching TV, bored out of my mind. Then, I heard my phone. It was a text from Laney.

'_Hey, Core. I was wondering if u wanted to hang out with me today.' _I sat up and started texting.

'_Sure, Lanes. Should I come over, or do you want to hang out over here?'_

'_Actually, why don't we go to Belchie's? I'm kinda hungry.' _My mind wandered as I read the word 'Belchie's.' It was where Larry and I had our first kiss.

'_Sure, Lanes. Sounds good. Wanna meet there?'_

'_Sure. See ya there.'_

'_See ya.' _I smiled as I turned off the TV and got up. Maybe today wouldn't be so boring after all.

(Larry's POV)

I was in Carrie's garage, just hanging out with my friends, when I heard my phone go off. I looked at it to see a text from an unknown number.

'_Who is this?' I texted._

'_Hey, Larry. It's Laney. Wanna hang out?' _Well, that was out of nowhere. Wait…how'd she get my number?!

'_Uh, why? Don't you hate me?'_

'_Of course not. And I'm totally cool with u and Core.'_

'_Core?'_

'_Yeah, that's what I call him. Anyway, wanna hang out? I just want to talk and stuff.' _I looked at my phone, thinking.

'_Uh, okay. Where? When?'_

'_Meet me at Belchie's at 2:30.' _Belchie's? Why is it always Belchie's?

'_Fine.'_

'_Cool.' _I set down my phone and looked at the clock. It was only 2:09. I guess I still have time to hang out a bit longer with Care, then I'll have to go see what Laney wants to talk about.

(Laney's POV)

As I waited for Corey at one of the booths, I smiled at my ingenious plan. This was perfect. What better place to do this than at the very place where they had their first kiss? It would _crush_ Larry. Then, Corey would be all mine. Finally, after a few minutes of waiting, he walked in. He smiled when he saw me, and walked over. He sat next to me.

"Hey, Lanes." He said.

"Hi, Core."

"Want to go order some food?" He said, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder at the counter.

"Sure." I said, getting up. When we ordered out food, we sat back down in our spot and I checked the time. 2:17. Still a little bit to go.

"So, Lanes." He said, getting my attention. "You're really okay with all of this?" I hesitated.

"Yeah, Core." I lied. "Why not? You're happiness is important." He smiled his heartwarming smile, which made me feel kind of bad about what I was about to do to him. He began to eat his food, as did I. We talked about random things while we ate. After we were finished, I checked the time again. It was 2:27. It was almost time. Corey and I got up, about to leave. "Hey, Corey?"

"Yeah?" He asked, turning to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Larry coming up to the door of the fast food restaurant. Time to put my plan into action. As Larry was opening the door, I grabbed the front of Corey's shirt and brought his face down to mine, so it would look like he was the instigator. Then, I kissed him. When Larry came in, I saw him look at us. His jaw dropped as he stared at us, wide-eyed.

"C-corey…?" He choked out. Suddenly, Corey pulled away from me and looked at Larry.

"Larry? I-it's not what it looks like! I swear." Larry just stood there, looking close to tears. Corey walked up to him, arm out. Right before he reached him, Larry quickly stepped backwards.

"No!" He yelled, tears streaming down his face. "I trusted you!" Then, he ran out of the building. I smiled slightly. It had worked! My smile faded when Corey turned sharply in my direction and came towards me. He dragged me outside and took me to the side of the building.

"How could you?!" He screamed, getting in my face. I immediately shrunk. I didn't know he'd be this mad.

"I-I…I thought…" I tried to talk, but I couldn't under Corey's menacing stare. When he saw I wasn't explaining myself, he pulled his hand back, ready to bring it forward. I braced myself and squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the worst. When nothing happened, I opened my eyes to see his hand still in the air, but his fist was balled, and it was shaking, like he was at war with himself if he should do it or not.

Finally, his hand dropped, and he sighed. I tried reaching out to him, but he smacked my hand away. He closed his eyes and punched the wall next to my head, causing me to let out a whimper.

"You lied to me…" He growled through gritted teeth. "You tricked me. I…I thought you were my friend. My best friend. But you know what?" He paused. "You aren't shit." He turned and started to walk off, but stopped and looked back at me. "Oh, and you can forget about the band. In fact, you can forget that we were ever friends. Never talk to me again." He said harshly as he walked off, leaving me behind. I stood there, shocked. This was not the outcome I had expected. I slid down the wall and pulled my knees up to my chest.

This was probably the stupidest thing I had ever done. And the most selfish. I lost my best friend, my band, and everything I cared about. So, I just buried my face in my arms and cried.

(Corey's POV)

'How could Laney do this?! _Why _would she do this?' I thought as I walked to Larry's house. I sighed. 'I have to make this right.' I walked up the steps of his house and knocked on the door. It was answered by his father.

"Ah, Corey. What do you need?"

"Is Larry here?" I asked hopefully.

"Sorry, no. You might want to check Carrie's house." I nodded.

"Thanks." I said, going back down the steps. He waved and closed the door. Great. Now, I have to go to _her _house. I walked until I came to it. I stepped up to the door and knocked. The door was opened by the demon herself. She looked _pissed_.

"Like, what do _you _want, Riffin?"

"I wanted to know if Larry was here." She scowled.

"Yeah, he is."

"Well, can I talk to him?" She leaned against the door frame, arms crossed.

"Sorry, but he's too busy crying his eyes out upstairs." She said. "He said something about some asshole cheating on him." She pretended to think for a second. "Oh, wait, that asshole was you." She said, closing the door. I quickly went up and pushed myself against the door so it wouldn't close.

"Please!" I begged. "I want to talk to him!"

"Well, he doesn't want to talk to you! And if I _ever _catch you near him again, Riffin, you're _dead_!" She yelled, finally slamming the door shut on me. I cursed in my head as I backed away from the door. I looked up to see a room light on. It was on the second floor. That was probably Carrie's room. I saw a few trees on that side of the house. I could try climbing one to see in. I wanted to see Larry. She never did say that he was in her room, but it was the best bet. So, I went over to one of the trees and started climbing.

Once I clambered up the tree to the window, I looked in. There he was, a crying mess huddled on Carrie's bed. He was lying on his side in a fetal position, facing away from the window. At that moment, I saw Carrie come in. She sat next to him and patted his back. I listened to their conversation.

"W-who was it?"

"It was nobody." She said softly.

"W-was it C-cor-rey?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. I took care of it. He's gone. You never have to see him again." He just nodded. I sighed and looked down. If only he knew the truth. Then, Carrie stood up. "I'm gonna go make some lunch. You want me to bring you up something?" He silently shook his head. "Okay." She said sympathetically. She turned around and walked out of the room. Perfect. I knew this was wrong, and probably illegal, but I just _had_ to talk to him. I pulled up the window slowly and silently. When there was just enough room, I squeezed through. Surprisingly, Larry hadn't heard, as he was only about eight feet away. I tiptoed up behind his huddled form, stopping right next to him.

"Larry?" I said cautiously. He froze for a second before rolling onto his other side so he could face me. When he saw me, he shot up from his lying down position. The first thing I saw in his eyes was pure hatred.

"Corey?! What the hell are you _doing _here?!" He quietly yelled. "I'm not really in the mood to talk to you right now. Not only that, but Carrie will _kill _you if she finds out you're here."

"The risk is worth it to see you."

"Oh, don't sell that bullshit! I _saw_ you!" I put my hands up defensively.

"Look, I'm sorry you saw what you think you saw, but I didn't kiss Laney!"

"Oh, so leaning towards her with your lips on hers isn't kissing her?!"

"Yes…well, no…I…look, she set us up. She _planned _it. Right before you walked through the door, _she _pulled _me _in. She was even smiling when you ran out!" Larry looked down, like he was thinking. Then, he looked back up at me.

"How can I trust you? How do I know you aren't lying?" That was all I needed to hear before I leaned towards him, wiped the last of the tears off his face, and gave him a passionate kiss. I put all my heart, love, and emotion into it so he would know it was genuine. After a couple second, he pushed back, reciprocating everything I was putting into it.

A couple of minutes passed before we broke apart. He smiled, a sparkle in his beautiful, green eyes. I smiled back as I put my arms around him in a comforting embrace. He put his arms around me as well. His head rested in the crook of my neck.

"I love you." I told him for the first time ever. He hesitated before replying.

"I love you, too." He said, tightening his grip on me. After a few minutes of being in heaven, I suddenly remembered that we were in someone else's house. I broke from the embrace and looked around. That's when I noticed a certain blue-haired girl in the doorway, fuming.


	4. No Matter What

(Carrie's POV)

I was downstairs, cutting a tomato for my sandwich, when I heard a sound from upstairs. I couldn't quite make out what it was. I listened closer, and realized it was footsteps, and a voice. _Two_ voices. The only person here other than me is Larry. _Intruder. _I clutched the knife I was holding and walked to the base of the stairs.

I slowly walked up, trying not to be heard. When I got to the top, I stopped and listened. The talking was louder, now, and it was coming from…MY ROOM! I rushed to the door and looked to see Corey and Larry hugging. Corey jumped away from Larry once he saw me. I was confused, but my confusion was soon taken over by rage.

(Corey's POV)

I gulped as I saw Carrie in the doorway, holding a knife. That's it, my life's over. She didn't say anything, she just stood there looking pissed as hell.

"Riffin…" She growled as she raised the knife she was holding. I backed up a little. I could see Larry sitting on the bed, looking between me and her with a scared look. Then, she charged. Just before she reached me, I sidestepped and went over the bed, going for the door.

"Carrie, don't! It wasn't him!" I heard Larry yell. I looked behind me to see her going at me again. I got out the door, and she was right behind me. Before I could turn to go down the hallway, she cornered me, pointing the knife at me. I panicked.

"IT WAS LANEY!" I blurted in desperation. She suddenly dropped the hand holding the knife.

"What?" She asked, looking completely confused. What was really strange was that she was completely calm now, like she hadn't just tried to kill me with a knife.

"It was Laney!" I said quickly, holding my hands up defensively. "It was _her_ fault! She set me up to make it look like I was cheating on Larry!" Carrie paused for a second, then looked at Larry, as if looking for confirmation. He nodded, and she looked back at me.

"Oh, well, okay." She shrugged. "I actually wasn't mad at that. I realized that you two must have made up for some reason, since you were hugging. I just wanted you out of my room." My jaw dropped. She tried to kill me…just 'cause I was in her room?! What is wrong with this girl?!

"What?!"

"What?" She said nonchalantly. "I don't like people in my room."

"_He's _in your room!" I said, pointing at Larry.

"_He's _an exception." She said. I just sighed and shrugged it off.

"So, we're cool?"

"For now." She said. "Now, tell me about this thing with Laney again. She…set you up?" I nodded. Larry came up to us.

"He said that she tricked us into going to the same place so she could make it look like he was cheating on me, and I would see it." Larry explained.

"So, she was the one who broke Larry's heart?" I nodded again. A sadistic smile appeared on her face as she lifted the knife once again, running her finger across the blade. "Then we'll just have to…pay her a visit." Okay, she was freaking me the fuck out.

"S-seriously?" I asked in a scared tone. She laughed and dropped the hand once more.

"Kidding, Riffin. Of course not. I'm not psycho." She said, playfully punching my arm…which actually hurt.

"_I_ beg to differ…" I muttered under my breath. That's when she _really_ punched me. All I can say is that I'm lucky nothing broke with that impact. I held my arm.

"What the hell?!" I said loudly. She stuck her nose up indignantly.

"That was uncalled for, Riffin. If you're rude to me, I'll be rude right back." I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." I said as she began walking down the hallway towards the stairs. "Uh, where are you going?"

"To pay your little friend a visit." I walked up to her.

"Excuse me, but I don't think you're involved!" I said a bit more harshly than intended. She, however, wasn't fazed. She grabbed my wrist, and pulled me closer until her face was inches from mine. Her expression became very serious.

"Listen, Corey. She hurt my best friend. I think that makes me _somewhat _involved. I can't just sit by and brush it off like it never happened, whether you like it or not." She let go of my wrist, leaving a red imprint of where her hand had been. I stood there, slightly shocked. She called me Corey. She _never _calls me that. It's always 'Riffin,' 'Loser,' or 'Groj-dork.' Not only that, but it also seemed like she was a different person. She was less childish, and a bit more serious. I also saw…_kindness_. She was trying to hide it, and was doing a good job, but it was apparent in her eyes when she was talking about Larry. This is one side of Carrie I don't know. A side that she didn't want me to know. I smiled at this discovery.

"Lead the way, princess." I said. She gave me a warning look and started walking down the stairs, Larry and I following right behind. We left Carrie's house, and headed for Laney's. I didn't really want to talk to her, or even see her, but I had to know what was going through her fucking skull when she did what she did. When we got to her house, I knocked on the door. It was opened by her mother. When she saw me, her face fell slightly.

"Ah, Corey. Come in, come in." Why did she want me to come in?

"Uh, okay." I said as I stepped through the doorway, motioning for the others to follow. We walked into the living room. "So, uh, what do you need?"

"It's not what I need." She said softly. "There's someone who owes you an apology." As if on cue, Laney walked into the room, head down. She stopped a few feet away from me, and looked up. Her makeup was running, and she looked like she had been crying for a long time. I felt all anger immediately melt away as I looked at her.

"Lanes?" I asked, worried.

"H-hey Core…" She mumbled. I walked up to her and put my hands on her shoulders. I asked her the one simple question that's been on my mind all day.

"Why?" She looked up at me, her lips quivering. I saw fresh tears start rolling down her face. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around me, giving me a tight squeeze, and started bawling into my shirt.

"I'M SO SORRY, COREY! I DIDN'T MEAN FOR ANY OF THIS! I WASN'T TRYING TO HURT YOU! I DID IT BECAUSE I'VE LIKED YOU FOR SO MANY YEARS! PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!" My eyes went wide as she let all of her emotions pour out. She…liked me? Well, that explains a lot. As she continued with her muffled apology into my shirt, I hugged her tightly and rubbed her back. Her mother and father were standing by, watching her with sympathy. When she was finished her apology, I spoke.

"Shh, shh. It's okay." I whispered, rubbing her back. "I don't hate you, Laney." She lifted her head to look up at me.

"Y-you don't?" She said, attempting to choke back a sob, but failing miserably. I pulled her towards me so her head was resting on my shoulder.

"Of course not, Lanes. You're my best friend."

"B-but you sa-said I wasn't in the band. Yo-you said-"

"I know what I said, and I hate myself for saying it. I didn't mean a word of it." I said, hugging her tighter. I heard her let out a shaky sigh of relief as she hugged back. I looked over to Carrie and Larry. Larry was smiling, and Carrie had lost her whole tough-girl demeanor. Her face softened at the sight. I looked back to Laney as her crying turned to shaky breaths, and her breaths turned to slight sniffles. "You okay?" I asked her. She nodded, pulling away from me.

"Thanks, Core." She said, smiling. I smiled at her, then gave her a serious look.

"This doesn't mean I'm not still angry with you, 'cause I am." She lowered her head again.

"I know. I'm _so _sorry. Believe me, if I could take it back, I would." I smiled at her again.

"I know." I said simply.

"C-can we still be friends…?" She asked sadly, as if she was expecting me to say no. I grabbed her hands and sighed.

"Laney, no matter what happens, you will _always_ be my best friend."

"No matter what?" She asked, resting her head against my chest.

"No matter what." I repeated, holding her close.


	5. Important Note

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! I just wanted to give a HUGE shoutout to my best friend who goes to school with me. Her name is Victoria. Without her, this story wouldn't be what it is, and it would probably be crap. She helped me come up with a lot of the ideas for the story. So, anyways, just wanted to get that out. Thanks, Vicki! You're the best!**

**Sidenote: She might make an account on this site. She wrote a Grojband Corney fanfic, and she wants to post it. If she doesn't make an account, then she wants me to post it on mine. It's really good. If she makes an account, I'll tell you the username. If you're interested, be sure to check it out!**


	6. The Date

(Corey's POV)

The past few weeks have been great. Laney was somewhat cool with the relationship, and Carrie was off my back. Also, it wasn't a secret anymore. Pretty much everyone knew, which was a huge weight off our shoulders. There was only one person who still didn't know: Trina. She's seen him come over many times, but thought he was just a friend. I honestly couldn't really care less if she knew or not. She's bound to find out sooner or later, anyway.

Currently, I was on the phone with Larry, planning what to do for a date this evening.

"We could go to the movies. My treat."

"I don't know. Doesn't that seem a little, I don't know...average?"

"Well, do you have a better idea?" He asked sarcastically. I thought for a moment, then had a great idea.

"Yes, actually. But it's a surprise."

"But-"

"No buts." I said, cutting him off. "Just meet me at the park."

"Can't it at least be somewhere else? We've been to the park so many times."

"Yes, it has to be the park. Don't worry, you'll see."

"Uh, okay. Whatever you say. What time?"

"Meet me at the entrance at 8:00."

"Okay, fine. Love you." I smiled, and my heart began to race upon hearing those words.

"Love you, too. Bye."

"Bye." He said, hanging up. I hung up, too, and set my phone down on the sofa next to me. 'Time to get started.' I thought as I got up.

(Larry's POV)

I sat on my bed, wondering what Corey was planning. You never know with that boy. I hugged my phone close to my chest and sighed, falling backwards onto my bed. I smiled as I thought about how perfect he was in every way. He made me feel warm and happy. What I felt for him was _so_ much stronger than what I ever felt for Care. I loved him so much it hurt.

As I was lying there, I suddenly heard my doorbell ring. I was about to get up, then realized my parents could just get it. I continued lying there, deep in thought, until I heard my mom call from downstairs.

"Larry, it's for you!" I groaned and got up. I made my way downstairs, and went to where my mom was standing at the door. She opened the door wider so I could see who it was. I was surprised to see Carrie standing there. My mom walked away, leaving Carrie and I alone. I looked at her.

"Hey, Care. What's up?"

"Hey, Larr. I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out with me and the girls today." She said, smiling. I scratched the back of my head nervously.

"Oh, sorry Care. I can't. I already have plans with Corey." Her smile turned into a disapproving frown.

"Look, Larry. I support you and all, but lately, you and the Newmans have been growing farther apart." My eyes widened. She was making it sound like I wasn't even part of the Newmans.

"What do you mean, Care?" She looked intensely at me.

"You spend more time with Corey than us! It seems like every time I want to hang out, there's always some reason you can't, and it's always because of Corey!"

"That's not true!" I said defensively. She put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, yeah? When's the last time we hung out?" I opened my mouth to answer, but closed it quickly, as I didn't have one. I couldn't even remember the last time I hung out with the girls. Crap, she was right. I nodded and sighed in defeat.

"Okay, Care. I promise that I will _try_ to hang out with you more." She smirked.

"Larry, 'try' is out of the question. We're going to hang out sometime this week, whether you have plans or not." I smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing, Care." She waved and started walking down my porch steps. I waved back and closed the door. Typical Carrie.

(Trina's POV)

I walked downstairs to see my plague of a brother gathering food in the kitchen. As disgusting as he was, curiosity got the best of me.

"Like, what are you doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"None of your business." He said, trying (and failing) to reach a bag of chips in the top cabinets. I laughed internally at his struggles. I looked around the kitchen to see a bunch of food laid out, and a large basket in the middle of it all. What the heck was he doing? As I watched him continue to struggle reaching the chips, I frowned when he finally got them. Boo. Losing all interest, I walked away. Time to go find hunky Nick Mallory!

(Larry's POV)

I looked at the clock to see that it was 7:49. Finally. I left my house and started walking down the street to where Corey had told me to meet him. When I got there, I saw him standing there with his adorable smile. He walked up to me.

"Hi, Larry." He said, giving me a quick kiss. I blushed.

"Hey, Corey." I said. "So, what did you have in mind that was so great that you couldn't tell me what it was?" I saw a small blush grace his face as he continued smiling. He grabbed ahold of my hand and began pulling me along.

"You'll see." He said mysteriously. As he was pulling me along, I saw that we were heading into a secluded part of the park that I never even knew existed. It was a bit dark, thought, and I couldn't really see much. I stumbled a few times, but Corey caught me. How could he see where he was going? "Okay, stop here." He said. We both stopped, and Corey let go of my hand. He walked off to go do something.

"Uh, Corey? What are you doing?"

"I said 'you'll see.'" He said. After a couple minutes, I heard a click, and the whole place suddenly lit up. I could see everything. I saw a beautiful willow tree, the branches just barely touching the ground. There were lights hanging from said branches. A couple feet away from it was a huge blanket lied out. On it was a large basket with food around it. There were candles around the blanket as well, giving off a soft, comforting glow. I was shocked with the beautiful scene. I felt Corey walk up behind me. I turned to face him.

"Y-you did this...for me?" I asked. He just smiled.

"You like it?" He asked. I suddenly threw myself at him, and wrapped my arms around him, giving him a tight squeeze.

"I love it." I said sincerely. He hugged me back and kissed the top of my head.

"I thought you might." He said, letting me go. I let go as well, and began walking towards the picnic spot. I sat down, and he sat next to me. As we were eating, we talked about various subjects. Our bands, personal lives, and anything else that came to mind. When we were finished, we packed the leftovers into the basket and, once again, sat next to each other on the blanket, enjoying the night.

I sat next to him, and rested my head on his shoulder. He rested his head on top of mine. We just sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company. Suddenly, a cold gust of wind blew through, making me shiver. Corey took notice and put his arm around me. He looked at me lovingly as I snuggled into his side, smiling. We sat there a while until I began to nod off, thanks to the quiet and Corey's warmth. I heard chuckling, causing me to open my eyes all the way. I looked up to see Corey looking down at me.

"Tired?" He said jokingly. As if on cue, I yawned. "I'll take that as a yes. Wanna go home?" I nodded as he stood up. He helped me up as well. I helped him fold up the blanket and pack it up. Right before we parted ways, I grabbed his hands.

"Thanks for an amazing night." I told him.

"Was it better than going to the movies?" I let go of his hands and put my arms around his neck.

"Much better." I said, giving him a kiss. He smiled and kissed back. When we parted, we gave each other one last hug before going our separate ways.

(Two days later)

(Corey's POV)

I had Larry over at my house. We were in the living room, watching some crappy 'B' movie. It was fun because we would often laugh and point out how bad the acting was, or how fake the graphics were. At one point, we saw the boom mike, and we just broke down laughing.

"Are they doing this on purpose or something?!" I said, trying to catch my breath.

"I don't know!" Larry laughed, trying to do the same. Suddenly, his face changed. He had stopped laughing, but was still gasping for air. I got close to him, worry taking over.

"Larry? Are you okay?!" He was still gasping, and I was having a freaking panic attack! I heard him trying to say something, but it wasn't understandable. "What?!" I asked, freaking out.

"A...as...asthma. In...haler" I heard him wheeze out. I mentally facepalmed. I had completely forgotten about his asthma!

"Right." I said, rushing for his bag. I rummaged through it, looking for his inhaler. I finally found it in the side pocket. I grabbed it and hurried back over to him. I gave it to him, and he shakily brought it up to his mouth and took a couple hits of it. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally started breathing normally. He gave his inhaler back to me, and I put it back in the bag. I came back over and sat next to him. "You okay?" I asked, worried. He nodded.

"Yeah, thanks." He said, smiling.

"You really scared me." I told him. He shook his head.

"Don't worry. It happens all the time." I looked and saw his hand on his lap. I reached over and put my hand on his.

"Hey, it's my job to worry." I smiled at him. He looked over at me and gave me a kiss. That's when I heard a gasp come from behind us. We broke this kiss immediately, and looked. There stood Trina, her jaw dropped and eyes wide. Oh, great.


	7. No Longer Rivals

**(Trina's POV)**

I was coming home from a day out with hunky Nick Mallory. I had finally gotten home and opened the door. As soon as I did, I saw Corey's stupid friend's bag in the middle of the floor. Great, _he _was here. And here I was hoping for some peace and quiet. I kicked it out of the way and closed the door behind me.

I began walking towards the stairs to my room when I heard talking from the living room. I peeked in to see those two dorks sitting on the couch, talking. I was about to walk away when I saw something I couldn't believe. The redhead leaned forward _kissed _my brother! I expected Corey to pull away in disgust, but he kissed him back! I couldn't help but let out an audible gasp. They immediately stopped and looked at me.

**(Corey's POV)**

'Oh, great.' I thought as I watched her reaction. She just stood there, looking shocked. We waited a couple minutes, and she still didn't move. Larry looked at me.

"I think we broke Trina…" He whispered. Suddenly, Trina snapped out of her trance. She looked at us with a disgusted expression.

"Like, EWW!" She yelled. "What the heck?!"

"Look, Trina. I can explain." I said, trying to calm her down. She shook her head.

"I don't, like, need an explanation! I saw enough!" She paused and took a deep breath. "So, how long has _this _been going on?!" She asked, motioning to me and Larry.

"Uh, I don't know." I shrugged. "Almost a month?" I looked at Larry, who nodded. Trina scoffed in disgust.

"How are we even related?!" She finished, leaving to go upstairs.

**(Trina's POV)**

I lied on my bed, thinking. My brother is gay?! That's _totes_ disgusting! Why couldn't he be _normal_ for once?! I had to do something about this. I pulled out my phone and called Mina. After a couple rings, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Mina, get over here _now_!"

"Y-yes, Trina!" She said in a scared tone. In a matter of seconds, Mina came in through my window. "I'm here!" She said.

"Took you long enough." I said disapprovingly. She let out a sigh.

"So, what did you need me for?" I opened the door to my room and pointed at Corey and the redhead still sitting on the couch. Mina looked at me. "W-what about them?"

"Aren't you, like, surprised or something?!" I looked at her, confused.

"I already knew about it." I pulled her back into my room.

"What?! How did you know?!" Mina cringed.

"C-carrie told me." I let out a growl of frustration.

"Whatever! Just help me break them up!"

"W-what?!"

"You heard me!" Mina just stood there, looking like she was at war with herself. After a few minutes, her face changed from scared to slightly confident, and she finally spoke.

"N-no." She said shakily. I looked at her angrily.

"What did you say?!" I growled. Mina gulped, but her face became more confident.

"I…I said 'no!'" She looked at me with some intensity now. Right as I was about to yell her for using the forbidden 'N' word, she stood up straight and glared at me. "No, I will _not_ help you break them up!" She said, no longer stuttering. "That redhead, Larry, is my sister's best friend! We treat him like _family_! I don't mind all the crap that you make me do, but you will _not_ mess with my family! I won't sabotage them, no matter what you threaten me with."

I watched her stand up to me, and it pissed me off. I opened my mouth to yell at her again, but she cut me off once more. She walked closer to me, now with an angry expression.

"No! I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I'm not going to be your slave anymore. You're alone, now. Find someone else to be your lackey." Then, she got up and left my room. I just stood there, trying to process what just happened.

**(Corey's POV)**

We just sat there in silence for a while. Then, Larry pulled his legs up to his chest and sighed. I looked at him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked. I could tell he was trying to hold back tears.

"Why…why is everyone so against us?" he asked sadly, burying his head in his arms. I sighed as well. I didn't know the answer to that either.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay." I said, trying to comfort him. "I mean, all of our friends accept us. That's all we need." He continued to hide his face in his arms.

"_Now_ they do." He muttered. "It's not like we told them, and they were immediately okay with it. We had to go through a lot of crap before they finally accepted us." I sighed. It was true.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"About what?" He asked, looking at me.

"This is my fault. If I had never pushed you to be with me, then you wouldn't be going through this. You would be happy practicing with your band. Not sitting here, wishing things were different." He looked at me, surprised.

"Corey, that's not true. I _want _to be with you. And…I don't wish things were different. Sure, I get upset when someone doesn't like us together, but that wouldn't make me regret being with you." He smiled at me, causing me to smile back. Then, he scooted closer to me and rested his head on my chest. "Corey?"

"Yeah?" I asked looking down at him.

"Would it be okay if you and Carrie gave up the rivalry between our bands, seeing as we're getting along better now?" I thought for a moment. If Grojband and the Newmans were no longer rivals, that would make things so much easier. But…what would Carrie say?

"Sure, if Carrie's okay with it, too." He smiled again and snuggled closer, and I wrapped my arms protectively around him. After a while, we fell asleep.

**(Larry's POV)**

It was the next day, and I was over at Carrie's house. Corey, Carrie, and I were standing in her garage, and I was trying to convince her to end the band rivalry.

"What?!"

"Please, Care?" I begged. "Don't you want to stop being enemies? I mean, we're all kinda getting along, now. The only problem there is, is you two." Corey and Carrie looked at each other. She narrowed her eyes at him, then looked back at me. "Do it for me?" I begged again, clasping my hands together. Her face then softened, and she sighed.

"I'll get the twins over here." I smiled in relief. I looked over at Corey to see him doing the same.

"I'll text Kin, Kon, and Laney." He said. I nodded as he pulled out his phone. After waiting a couple minutes, Laney arrived, followed by both sets of twins. Carrie and Corey stood on the stage in front of the two bands.

"Okay." Carrie began. "I would begrudgingly like to announce that, from now on, Grojband and the Newmans are no longer rivals." Suddenly, the garage was filled with the cheers of both bands, causing me to smile.

**(Carrie's POV)**

I watched two the bands cheering and celebrating the end of the rivalry. As much as I didn't like it, my band came before me, and they looked pretty happy. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around. I saw Corey looking at me and smiling.

"What do you want, Riffin?" He held out his hand for me to shake.

"I want to make this official." He said, the smile never leaving his face. I hesitated. "Come on." He prompted. I finally shook away any doubt I had and grabbed his hand. But, instead of shaking it, however, I pulled him towards me until we were inches apart.

"If you get any ideas, or if you ever hurt him again, yo-"

"I know, I know. I'm _dead_." I looked him in the eyes.

"Promise?" I asked.

"I promise." He said sincerely. Then, finally, I shook his hand. I trusted him enough to keep his promise. "Do you think…after this…we could be friends?" I looked at him, shocked. He wanted to be friends…with me?

"Okay, let's not get too crazy, here." I said. He laughed.

"I'm serious." I thought that this must be some kind of joke, but the sincerity in his eyes and expression told me everything. He really wanted to be my friend. I sighed and smiled.

"Sure thing, Rif-" I paused. "I mean, 'Corey.'"

**(No One's POV)**

And so, with that, an unexpected love formed, an unbreakable promise was made, and an unlikely friendship was shaped. And, no matter what, it would always be unconditional.


End file.
